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The Apocrypha

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The Apocrypha The Apocrypha by Daniel J. Lewis © Copyright 2000 by Diakonos, Inc. Troy, Michigan United States of America 2 Preface The apocrypha may be the most well-known collection of biblical documents, other than the Old and New Testaments, which is regularly neglected and ignored. In the past these books have been highly valued for private study and devotion by both the ancient Jewish community and also the ancient Christian community. The earliest Christians used for their Bible the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament, as well as the growing number of documents which now make up the New Testament. The Septuagint contained a number of Jewish works written between 200 B.C. and 100 A.D., specifically a number of additions to Old Testament books (Esther, Daniel, Jeremiah, Chronicles) as well as other works, some fictional, some historical and some theological. These works were eventually excluded from the Protestant and Jewish canons (but eventually retained in the Roman and Orthodox canons). Their canonical status was somewhat ambiguous until the 16th century, when they were given deutero-canonical status by the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent. Though the Protestant Reformers considered such works to be less authoritative than the canonical Scriptures, they did not discard them. In fact, the apocryphal books have been printed in most versions of the English Bible (including the KJV) from earliest times until 1827, when they were omitted. Since that time, Protestants, especially, have regarded the apocryphal books with suspicion, even though they were part of the devotional literature of the Christian church for most of its history. Oddly enough, modern Protestants have shown no hesitation in using other devotional literature, both fiction and non-fiction, while neglecting the Apocrypha. Hence, it seems appropriate for contemporary Christians, whether Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant, to become reacquainted with these works. They are quoted in the New Testament as well as the early church fathers. Passages from them have found their way into Christians hymns and devotional literature of all denominations. They were frequently the subject of paintings by the great masters in western art. While the canonical question remains an ongoing issue, surely no one should wish to neglect those works that the apostles and early Christians deemed valuable. It is in the spirit of this sentiment that this survey has been composed. 3 The Apocrypha...........................................................................................................1 Preface....................................................................................................................2 Introduction............................................................................................................5 The Canonical Issue...............................................................................................6 The Value and Use of the Apocrypha....................................................................8 The Books of Esdras ..................................................................................................9 1 Esdras..................................................................................................................9 2 Esdras................................................................................................................10 Chapters 1-2 .....................................................................................................11 Chapters 3:1--5:20 ...........................................................................................11 Chapters 5:21--6:34 .........................................................................................11 Chapters 6:35--9:25 .........................................................................................11 Chapters 9:26--10:59 .......................................................................................11 Chapters 11:1--12:51 .......................................................................................11 Chapter 13........................................................................................................11 Chapter 14........................................................................................................12 Chapters 15-16 .................................................................................................12 Tobit .........................................................................................................................12 The Tragedy of Two Families .............................................................................12 The Journey and Marriage of Tobiah ..................................................................13 The Recovery of the Deposit and the Journey Home......................................13 Purpose and Value of the Book .......................................................................14 The Book of Judith ...................................................................................................14 The Story..............................................................................................................14 Purpose and Value of the Book ...........................................................................16 Books Associated with Jeremiah .............................................................................16 The Letter of Jeremiah.........................................................................................17 The Book of Baruch.............................................................................................17 Additions to Daniel ..................................................................................................18 Additions To Daniel.........................................................................................19 The Prayer of Azariah..........................................................................................19 The Song of the Three Young Men .....................................................................19 Susanna ................................................................................................................20 Bel and the Dragon ..............................................................................................20 The Prayer of Manasseh............................................................................................21 4 Additions to Esther ...................................................................................................22 Prologue: The Dream of Mordecai .....................................................................23 Edict Against the Jews.........................................................................................23 Prayers of Mordecai and Esther...........................................................................23 Esther Before Xerxes ...........................................................................................23 Edict of Defense...................................................................................................23 Meaning of Mordecai's Dream ............................................................................24 The Wisdom Literature ............................................................................................24 Wisdom of Solomon ............................................................................................24 Sirach ...................................................................................................................25 Books of the Maccabees ..........................................................................................27 1 Maccabees.........................................................................................................28 Historical Prologue (1).....................................................................................28 Career of Mattathias (2)...................................................................................28 Career of Judas Maccabeus (3:1--9:22)...........................................................29 Career of Jonathan (9:23--12:53).....................................................................29 Career of Simon (13-16) ..................................................................................29 Important Ideas in 1 Maccabees ......................................................................30 2 Maccabees.........................................................................................................30 Prologue (1-2) ..................................................................................................31 Divine Protection of the Temple (3)................................................................31 God Punishes Jerusalem for Apostasy (4-7)....................................................31 God Delivers the Jews and Purifies His Temple (8:1--10:9)...........................31 God Supports the Maccabean Resistance Movement (10:10--13:26).............32 God Defends Jerusalem Through Judas Maccabeus (14:1--15:36).................32 3 Maccabees.........................................................................................................32 4 Maccabees.........................................................................................................33 Psalm 151 .................................................................................................................33 Assessing the Apocrypha.........................................................................................33
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